As a beginner in German, it’s a great feeling just to have the most basic exchanges: to say a little about yourself and your surroundings, ask some practical questions. But as you start to improve, you’ll soon want to have more meaningful conversations. You’ll want to share your interests, enthusiasms, likes and dislikes. And to find out about what matters to your conversation … [Read more...]
How to make German friends, in the country or not!
If you’re serious about improving your spoken German, you need to use it consistently. A great way to do that is to make German friends (or meet native German speakers from elsewhere). But how do you find them? In this post, you’ll find some great practical ideas of how you can meet more native German speakers and make the most of the contacts that come your way, maximising the … [Read more...]
How to learn German fast
So, you want to learn German fast? There’s no hiding it, getting really good at German is a big undertaking that takes a lot of time: maybe 350 hours study for a basic, functional “working knowledge” at the “lower intermediate” level (sometimes called “B1”) and at least 600 hours to get even more fluent across a wider range as an “upper intermediate” speaker (B2). It also … [Read more...]
Six German vocabulary keys to unlock your word power
At first sight, you’ll probably recognise a lot fewer words in a German text than a Spanish or French one. Add to that those super-long words the language seems to love and you could be forgiven for thinking that German vocabulary is just impossible. Not so! If you discover just a little about where German gets its words from (and how longer words are formed) you'll see that … [Read more...]
How to remember German noun gender: the ultimate guide
Learning the German noun gender system can be a real headache. In this post, I'm sharing some top tips on how to remember German noun gender. Taken together, the tricks will stack odds of getting the gender right significantly in your favour. The info below will save you time and give you confidence as you power ahead auf Deutsch. Los geht's! So what is all the fuss … [Read more...]
Motivation for intermediate (B1) German: enjoying the highs and getting through the lows
After the initial excitement of starting to learn German, you'll already have found that your motivation goes up and down. That's true at all levels. But what are the specific highs and lows that you're likely to encounter as a lower intermediate (B1) German learner? In this post, let's look at the good bits (things to look forward to( and the not so good bits (and how you … [Read more...]
Intermediate B1 German vocabulary and grammar: what and how?
What new vocabulary and grammar do you need to move from upper beginner (A2) to lower intermediate (B1) German? Maybe you want to improve your German for work or pleasure. You may even need to pass a German B1 exam. If so, you're in the right place for some actionable information on the B1 German vocabulary and grammar that you need and how to master it. We've already done a … [Read more...]
From beginner’s (A2) to intermediate (B1) German: What’s the difference?
If you feel like you've got the basics of German off pretty well but want to know how to break into the ranks of the intermediate German learner, this new series of articles is for you. What do you need to be able to do to call yourself an intermediate speaker? How do you acquire those additional skills? How's the process going to feel and how can you ensure that you keep going … [Read more...]